Protect me
by Felix-RaAk
Summary: In a rainy night a frightened Akane derives comfort from the arms of her fiancé, but what about her pet?


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Ranma ½ or any of its characters. The great Rumiko Takahashi does.

Thanks a lot for beat-reading this Saotome Kyuubi! Thanks, thanks, thanks.

**Protect Me**

Here I am, sitting alone in my dark room. My little pet P-chan is sleeping peacefully next to me on the bed , while I am sitting with my back against the wall, my knees drawn to my chest and my arms around them in a tight embrace. A lightning, the thunder and I can feel how another chill is running down my spine. I hate these nights, when it is raining outside and I have to lie awake in my bed without anyone watching over, comforting or protecting me. Ever since I was a little child I hated these stormy, rainy nights, because I could never sleep due to my fear of tempests. Another lightning followed by ear-battering thunder makes me jump up in the air. But today there is something else lying in the air. I can feel it in every pore of my very being. Something is going to happen, if good or bad I do not know, but I have other things on my mind.

Now I am standing in my empty, dark room, searching for a clock. I am far too scared right now to get any sleep any time soon. I know this one from experience. Hectically my eyes are searching for the clock. Finally found, I look on the cyphers and sigh to myself. Half past eleven is way too late to call one of my friends over to a pyjama party, but I need someone to sleep next to me.

The snoring of P-chan and the clock with its continuous ticking is not really helping me to solve this tricky situation. I need someone to cuddle up with, someone I trust, but not one of my friends. So I try to think of someone in this house.

I could go to Nabiki and ask her. No, as fast as the idea came, it vanished into thin air. She would let me sleep in her room, yes, but how many persons are going to know that I have a fear of storms the following day? No, I do not want this. I am a strong woman, I will find someone else.

I do not want to sleep next to my father. Firstly he is definitively still drunken from his tour with Mr Saotome and secondly it would be too strange. How many girls are sleeping in the same bed with their father at my age? And I really do not want to think about Mr Saotome. He would probably sell me while I am sleeping.

Of course I could always go and ask my oldest sister Kasumi, but I do not want to wake her up, because tomorrow is her big day. For the first time she is going to go out and then with her one and only love Tofu Ono. She is the last option, the very last. I would rather stay awake all night long than wake her up.

But this leaves only one person in the house, my fiancé Ranma. And no, no, no, he is the last person on earth I would ask. Not that I would mind to lie in his arms and he is my fiancé, but no. I mean, I cannot ask him to sleep with me. How is this going sound? Sleep with me Ranma? Another boost for his super-sized ego? No, no way I am going to ask him.

Yet another lightning, that illuminates my whole room, letting the shadows of the trees dance around on my wall, seeming as if they were monsters from a distant world changes my mind in nanoseconds. Faster than I can think I grab my pillow and am out in the hall in front of his room. Because my fears defeat my stubbornness and embarrassment, I hesitantly reach for the door. Fortunately he does not lock his door up, so I can easily open it. Really slowly I am approaching to his sleeping form. Again I wonder how anybody can sleep if a storm like this is raging outside.

Blushing way beyond scarlet, I kneel down beside his futon and breath in and out. I can already sense that my temperature is rising and my fingers are trembling as well. What the hell is up with me? It is nothing special about it if I want to sleep next to my fiancé when I am scared. Gently and very slowly I place my hands on his shoulder and shake him a little, while I softly call his name. After some time of rather rough shaking he finally awakes and looks at me with big eyes that make me even more nervous.

"What are you doing here at this time?" he sleepily asks me after having taken a look at his alarm clock. Then, suddenly, his eyes grow very soft as he speaks his next words. "Are you afraid of something?"

Bull's-eye and I hate it. He must have read it from my eyes again. If he is able to do that then why in all hell can't he read all of my emotions, that I do more than just like him, that I love him? But I cannot show him that. I simply nod my head and crawl a little closer to him so that I can whisper into his ear.

"Yes, I am afraid of the tempest outside. And I wanted to know if I could, you know." I say, not being able to ask him this embarrassing favour and point to my pillow.

I can feel my blush, but I can also see his as he stutters something I cannot understand. Before he can build a correct sentence though, another lightning strikes outside and makes me jump into his arms. Due to my weight we both fall over and my trembling form remains lying on top of him. Because I am scared, I cuddle into him and clutch onto his undershirt.

"Please." I beg, my voice hardly above a whisper.

Now he sits up, but I refuse to let go of him. I bury my face into his shoulder and breath his smell, while I am waiting for his answer.

"Eh, Akane, you know that we do not have any futons left, don't you?"

Shoot, I had not thought about that one. Tough luck, but then we have to sleep together in his futon, I guess. It is not like I planned it, but I cannot complain about it. I feel my heart beating as I open my mouth. It has to be somewhere in my throat right now, while it pumps all of my blood to my cheeks.

"Doesn't matter, I have my pillow and when we cuddle a little bit, we will fit into your futon together, don't you think?" I ask him and see how the colour of his head changes from scarlet to a much deeper red. I cannot remember that I have seen a person blush as red as he does, but on the other hand I cannot look much better. Even in the face of our situation it is funny to me and I start giggling, but another thunder hushes me and I cuddle into him again, although this time with much more force.

"B-but even if we fit into this futon, what do you think is going on if anyone found out about it? Either we are going to get married within a few seconds or I will be dead." he reasons and I can see his point, but I am not going to give up now. I have embarrassed myself in front of him as I came here and I am not going to go before the next morning. And besides, I really would not mind if we got married tomorrow, you just do not know it Ranma.

Gladly I sense that even though he told me about the reasons, he puts his arms around me as I tremble even more. Finally I relax into him and smile to myself as an idea occurred to my mind. The last time I laid in his arms like that was in Jusendo. He was there to protect me and so I change my tactic to convince him completely.

"You are going to protect me?" I ask him all of a sudden, so that even I myself am surprised of my actions. Nonetheless I am eagerly awaiting his answer.

I can tell from the way he looks at me that he does not know what has gotten into me, but answers nevertheless with a firm nod. I knew it and I smile because of it. He will never ever let me down, so I ask the next question, a question that is going to bring me a big step further towards my aim.

"From everything?"

Now he looks with utmost confusion down to me. I hope he has not entertained any suspicion. But his answer raises a smile on my lips. They curl upwards as he promises with a firm voice that he is going to protect me from everything and everyone. I am sure that he likes me, too, but I will not be the one, who takes the first step. I know it sounds stupid, but I am the girl and he has to take the first step in this matter. He has to tell me that he loves me and then I am going to repeat the words, but for now I am satisfied and smile at him, while I speak to him.

"Then I beg you to protect me from this tempest. It should be enough that I am scared, don't you think?" I ask him, the fear nearly completely gone because of his presence.

And his answer is more than just satisfying. Slowly one of these brilliant smile, that I love so much, but sadly see far too less, appears on his face. Suddenly I find my face just a few inches away from his as he talks to me with his deep and wonderful voice. Why haven't I noticed how damn handsome he is?

"As I have said, I will protect you from everything including the tempest. You may sleep with me, but you have ta promise me that you'll deal with the problems, which are going ta arise if they find us like this. And now I suggest that we lie down and sleep for the rest of the night. Tomorrow is going ta be one hell of a day." he says and smiles down at me.

Inch by inch his face comes closer to mine while he speaks. Or am I leaning towards him? I do not know and I think I could not care less. All of a sudden I notice that my arms are no longer clutching onto his shirt in fear but encircling his neck in pure love. Our faces approach to each other, both of us not knowing if I am moving mine or he is moving his or we are both moving ours and we do not care any more. Shortly before our lips touch I stop myself and ask him one last question.

"Forever?"

And he seems to understand. The first time he seems to understand and it could not be at any better time. But instead of answering, he asks me another question just to make sure that I feel the same way.

"If you want me ta, I'll do it forever and longer." he answers truthfully, our faces now two inches apart.

To answer I move my face even closer to his. Now I can feel his warm breath and it drives me crazy. I cannot remember us being as close as this any time before, but I love it and hope that we can do this more often in the future. I know he is waiting for my answer, but I am too mesmerized by his handsome face and I can tell that he is studying me just as intense. Just as I open my mouth to answer his question and his hot breath is blowing into my mouth, caressing my tongue lovingly and making me feel better than I have in a long time, I hear a moan coming out of his mouth.

I watch as he waves his arm in the air, which has a little bite in it. Then I see my little P-chan, who is growling at my fiancé as if he was a rival over my affections. Before a fight breaks out I grab my pet by his yellow bandanas and hold it away from Ranma, while I look at his wound.

"Are you all right?" I ask him, well knowing that this was nothing to him and receive an angry nod. "I'm sorry that he bit you. I hope you can forgive him. Wait here a second, I am just locking him up in my room and then I am coming back." I tell him and run to my room.

Arriving there, I hastily set my little black piglet down and try to look as angrily as possible at him, but I fail a great deal, because I am so ecstatic right now. I want to go back to my fiancé as fast as possible, so I turn around and close the door a little bit before turning around again.

"You are going to stay here, you understand? And do not ruin any great moment with me and Ranma again, okay? I really appreciate it that you want to keep me safe, but there is no safer place in this whole world than in his arms, so sleep a little. Mum is coming to look after you tomorrow." I say and close the door, not paying attention to the fuming protests of my pet.

As I come back to his room, the first button of my pyjama came off, giving my Ranma a better look of what I have to offer. I am lying down next to him and leaning over his face, pouring seductively. Wait a moment, something is definitively wrong here. I cannot believe my luck, he is asleep again. Watching his peaceful slumber and knowing that I already have his approval of me sleeping next to him, I cannot bring myself to wake him up a second time. So I simply lie down on his futon. Indeed he is lying on my pillow, but I do not need it, because his chest makes a fantastic pillow as well. Listening to the sound of his heart, my eyelids become heavier and heavier until they finally close, the tempest long forgotten...

My eyes open again and I am greeted with the handsome sight of my fiancé's face. The new day welcomes me with grey clouds and rain, but I do not care, because I am in the warm and safe arms of Ranma. I smile to myself, but suddenly I remember what could happen if they found me here. I hastily, but reluctantly jump up and manage to wake the sleeping boy up as well. I know what is going to come now. One of his usual insults and I am going to punch him for it. I close my eyes, waiting for his voice, but it does not come. I open my eyes again and see how he is looking at my body. Instead of getting angry like I normally would, I smirk and bow a little bit so that he can see all of me. As I have heard his sharp hiss, I grin and look at his body, where I notice a large bulge in his pants. I smile even more at that, even though I cannot oppress a blush. Finally he stands up as well and I smile at him, while he picks me up in his arms and carries me into my room.

My day was quite uneventful. As always I fought Kuno off and went to school. After school Ranma and I walked home again, not once talking about the night before. All in all it was a boring day. No fiancées, no rivals, no strangers or lunatics. It was rather normal. The only really good thing was that the weather stayed the same.

Now I am sitting on the chair in my room, making myself ready for bed. I am looking out of the window, hoping for a sign of a lightning or a thunder. And finally it happens. A lightning strikes outside and faster than my little pet can blink I am on my feet, my pillow in my hand. I rush through my door, this time making sure that it is closed and walk past my bigger sister Nabiki. Amazed she looks over her shoulder as I open the door to Ranma's room.

"I didn't think you had it in you to sleep in his room two nights. You must have stamina." she yells to me and laughs as she sees that I am turning around with a blush creeping over my features.

But I do not really care. I want to answer his question today. I hope nobody is going to disturb us this time. And I hope that he is looking forward to sleeping with me, because I sure as hell am. I open the door to his room completely and smile at my Ranma...


End file.
